The programme, which develops people who want to lead social change in their communities, organisations and the world around them, was established in 2008 by the Clore Duffield Foundation to improve leadership in the not-for-profit sector.

Clore Social said that it had increased the number of places on the scheme after it received a record 239 applications.

This year’s intake includes new specialist fellowships in the fields of gender equality, youth social justice and migrant communities.

Successful applicants include Umar Ansari, chief executive of the Glasgow-based Youth Community Support Agency, Sue Brown, head of public policy at the deafblind charity Sense, Fuad Mahamed, founder and chief executive of the Bristol-based social enterprise Ashley Community Housing, and Lígia Teixeira, head of research and evaluation at Crisis, which supports single homeless people.

Fellows will complete a 12-month personalised programme that will include residential courses, coaching and mentoring, and a secondment.

Shaks Ghosh, chief executive of the Clore Social Leadership Programme, said: "We want to do what we do better, have more impact and reach more people, so I am delighted to be announcing our biggest ever cohort of fellows.

"The social sector is one of the UK's most important assets, but it will face unprecedented challenges in the years to come. Building leadership capacity is critical, and Clore Social has a significant role to play in this."

- The article was corrected on 4 November to remove a reference to practice-based research, which is no longer part of the programme